AN Ipswich firm was due to be sentenced in court today in relation to a fatal construction site accident.Father-of-two Neville Cook, 34, lost both his legs after being struck by an excavator during work to install sewerage pipes.

By Matt Eley

AN Ipswich firm was due to be sentenced in court today in relation to a fatal construction site accident.

Father-of-two Neville Cook, 34, lost both his legs after being struck by an excavator during work to install sewerage pipes. He died two weeks later.

The tragedy happened in November 2000 at a car park in Lowestoft.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, Jackson Civil Engineering, which was situated in Dobbs Lane, Kesgrave at the time of the tragedy, and Christopher Nicholson, of Needham near Diss were prosecuted.

At a previous court hearing both parties pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations.

The charges alleged that Mr Cook's employer, Christopher Nicholson, failed to ensure the safety of his employers.

It was also alleged that the main contractor, Jackson Civil Engineering of Sandy Hill Lane, Ipswich, failed to ensure safety of people not in its employment by not planning and maintaining a safe working area around a 360 degree excavator.

Sentencing was due to take place at Chelmsford Crown Court today.

Mr Cook, who lived in Clemence Street, Lowestoft, was struck by the bucket of a JCB digger while working on a main sewer pipe leading to a pumping station at Ness Point to prepare it for the completion of the Corton sewage treatment works.

He was working in a trench and placing insulation webbing around the pipes to make them fit into the pit when the accident happened.

He was taken to the James Paget Hospital where he underwent a lengthy operation but surgeons were unable to save his legs. He remained in intensive care in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for 11 days but died of shock and massive injuries on November 21.

Mr Cook was working on a £40 million Anglian Water project to provide a new sewage treatment scheme for Lowestoft. Up to 250 workers were involved in the project.